According to El Pais, 16 children in the Costa Del Sol area, Spain, suffered from the extremely rare “werewolf” syndrome after taking medicine containing minoxidil, a drug that stimulates hair growth in people with alopecia.

The medicine given to the children was omeprazole, which is used to treat acid reflux and stomach ulcers. However, according to the National Ministry of Health, minoxidil appeared in this batch of medicine, leading to the situation where 16 children experienced unusual hair growth all over their bodies. El Pais also reported that when the children stopped using the drug, their hair stopped growing longer.

Illustrations of children with “werewolf” syndrome, like the photo of Lalit Patidar, a 13-year-old boy from India with this condition, show the extent of the hair growth.

Some parents reported to Global News 10 that after discovering “hair growth in their children, especially on the face,” they sought medical advice. Consequently, local authorities quickly noted the phenomenon of this strange condition occurring in many families.

Spain’s pharmaceutical and health agency ordered the recall of the potentially contaminated minoxidil from the market last month after receiving reports of 13 cases of “werewolf disease,” with three more cases discovered earlier this month. Authorities said drugs contaminated with minoxidil may have affected 30 pharmacies and more than 50 batches of drugs.

According to reports, the pharmaceutical company Farma-Química Sur purchased the contaminated drug omeprazole from India and distributed it in the Spanish market. Currently, this company has had its license suspended and is not allowed to produce, import, or even distribute drugs.

Hypertrichosis, also known as Ambras syndrome or “werewolf disease,” is a genetic condition that causes excessive hair growth on the face and body. This syndrome is very rare, with a probability of only 1 in 1,000,000 people. Although the condition does not cause physical pain, it can lead to social discrimination due to the unusual appearance.

Currently, medical experts have not found a complete cure for this disease. The only way to help patients integrate more into the community is through regular shaving or waxing to manage hair growth.